‘The machine does not work. There are endless cock-ups’

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The Civil Service used to be seen as the home of intellectual rigour, expert
analysis and beautifully-written prose.

But now there are a growing number of complaints about sloppily drafted
letters and error-strewn memos coming out of the Whitehall machine.

One special adviser recalled spotting just in time that a reference to
“millions” had mistakenly been turned into “billions” in a parliamentary
written answer that would have been published in the name of his minister to
all MPs.

Letters, presented to politicians by civil servants for signature, frequently
contain spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. One draft memo, to be sent